Automatic paper feeder



F. E.v WEED. AUTOMATIC, PAPER FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, I920.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

OT QMJ\ w\ mm. an E Y a Q W 9% w nw g o Q.

F. E. WEED. AUTOMATIC PAPER FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED. OCT: [8, 1920.

v UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE;

FRED E. WEED, OF COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.

AUTOMATIC PAPER FEEDER.

. To all 107mm it mag concern Be ithnown thatI v Ennn'E. Tenn, citi-Z1110f thefUnitedStates, residing at Columbia, in the. county ofBooneand State. of Missouri, have invented certain new. and usefulImprovements inAutomatic Paper Feeders,;of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to feeding mecha- {nism for ,paper {printing andfolding ma chines or devices.

The principal object of the invention is vto. provide improved feeding,mechanism wherein the sheets of pa-perwill befed successively-to theprinting press ;or folding .machineand wherein the feed will be uniformand constant and automatically regulatedduring such operation.

; Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the abovecharacter which in addition to providing means to feed the sheetsofpaper in succession includes improved mechanism to properly handle thebulk paper and automatically move thesamc into engagement with thefeeding mechaism proper;

Afurthenobject} of the invention is to provide -,improv ed paper feedingmeans which are applicable to; conventionalmakes of printing; and;folding machines.

. Variousotherflobjects and advantages of my I invention will becomeapparent during the, continuance of the following descriptions. I

In thedrawings Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the improved feedingmechanism of my invention showing the same as in its preferredembodiment.

Figure 2 invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed view illustrating the paper engagingmechanism of the device, and Figure 4 is an end elevation thereof.

In reducing my invention to practice I first provide a feeding table orplatform 10 which is arranged so as to slant slightly toward the forwardend and positioned so that its forward end is in close proximity to theprinting press or folding machine in connection with which the feedingmechanism is to be used.

At its rear end, that is the end nearest is a view in side elevation ofmy the operator, the table 10 is providedwith a series of spacedbrackets, bearings or other supports 11 fora drive shaft 10 which car-Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1922 Applicationfiled October 18, 1920. Serial Ila-417,668.

ries a friction roller 12 the latter extending parallel to the adjacentedge of the table as clearly shown in Figure 1. A ratchet wheel ,13 iskeyed to the shaft near one end thereofwhile an arm 14 is looselymounted thereon and provided with a pawl 15 which normally engages theratchet teeth of the wheel. When oscillated by the rod 16, the pawl15being engaged with the ratchet teeth of the wheel matically I providethe roller with asecondloose. arm 17 adjacent to arm 14 whose outer orengaging face 18 is arranged in alignment with a stud 19 with a pawl 15.In other words,,the arm 17 may be movedso as to bring its engaging face18 into engagement with and raise the stud 19 so as to move the pawl 15out of engagement with the teeth of the wheel 13. l

In order to control thearm l7vautomatically, suitable mechanism isarranged on the table 10 to beengaged by the paper. This mechanismconsists ofopposed bearings 20 arranged near the front end of the table10 which carry a laterally disposed shaft 21.

One end ofthe shaft 21 is provided with a crank arm 22 which in turn isconnected to one end of a connecting rod 23. The other end of theconnecting rod 23 is secured to the arm 17 as at 24. Shaft 21 is furtherprovided at a point intermediate its ends with a curved finger 25 on theouter end of which is mounted a roller 26. lVhen the bulk of paperreaches its proper position on the table on the table 10 and travel overthe roller 12.

The roller 12 operates the belts 27 by frictional engagement so as tocause the same to move the bulk of paper forwardly on the table 10..Vhen the paper has been moved a SUTTlClQDlJ distance it becomes engagedwith V L of the printing the roller 26 thus causing the roller'li andthe belts 27 to become inoperative in the 'manner hereinbeforedescribed.

Tracks 28 are positioned on the table 10 opposite to each other andslightly in ad vance of the central transverse axis of the table 10 andon which operates a cross bar 2-9.- Spaced fingers 30 are carried on thecross bar and are equipped with rollers 31 which have tires 32 of rubberor other suit- 'able material whlch are adapted to engage the top sheetof paper and cause the same to be fed forwardly on the table to theguides press or folding machine in connection with which the inventionis used. In order to operate the cross bar 29 I further "provide sidearms 33 one end of which conthereof.

The bulk of paper which is first placed on the table 10 near the roller12 is held in position by rollers 84 that are carried on spring 1 armsfrom a common carrier 36.

aving thus fully described my invention what I claim asnew anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent v.is I

' 1. A device of the character described comprising a table, papercarrying means ar-.

ranged in spaced relation on said table and adapted to travellongitudinally with respect thereto, tracks positioned on said table inopposed relation, a cross bar loosely mounted table.

r on said tracks, a plurality of fingers carried by said cross bar,stationary rollers carried by said fingers, and means to move said crossbar and the mechanism carried thereby backwards and forwards withrespect to said 2. A device of the character described comprising atable, a friction roller positioned at one end of said table, said tablebeing provided with spaced openings near its other end, rollers mountedin said openings, a series of endless belts arranged to operate onsaidfirst and second named rollers and extending longitudinally with respectto.

said table, a gear wheel keyed to said first named friction roller,means rockably mounted on said friction roller adapted to engage androtate said gear Wheel, and means operatable from a point on said tablein advance of said endless belts whereby said last named means may bedisengaged from said gear wheel. 7 V

3. An automatic paper feeder comprising a feed table having conveyormeans for supporting and feeding paper sheets longitudinally of thetable, said feeding means including a main drive shaft at one end of thetable, a rotatable shaft journalled crosswise of the opposite end of thetable, a vertically movable roller element carried by said shaft, aratchet wheel fixed to the said drive shaft, an arm mounted loosely onsaid shaft for turning movement, apawl carried by said arm and normallyengaging a ratchet wheel, said pawl being provided with a projection, asecond arm loosely mounted on said shaft for swinging movement, saidsecond arm being adapted to engage the projection for raising the pawlsfrom the ratchet wheel, and a trip connection between said pawl engagingarm and the said rotatable shaft.

In'testimony whereof I affiX' my signature. FRED E. WEED.

